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Climate change in south Climate change in south Durban, South AfricaDurban, South Africa
Copyright © 2010 CCAA Project
Who is the South Durban Who is the South Durban Community Environmental Community Environmental
Alliance? Alliance? A non-governmental coalition of 16 community and
environmental organisations concerned with environmental justice and sustainable development in south Durban and eThekwini (the broader Durban municipal area)
Launched in 1995 to unite members in a common struggle for a healthy living environment and environmentally sustainable and socially just development in south Durban
South Durban is home to approximately half a million people, and is also the location of South Africa’s largest chemical industry cluster including two major oil refineries (Engen and Sapref) and two big paper mills (Mondi and Sappi Saicorr) as well as the transport infrastructure associated with Africa’s largest port
Location of poor and mostly black people close to polluting industries. The history of racially-motivated planning has resulted in the difficult circumstances in which south Durban communities continue to find themselves: choking on noxious fumes, suffering pollution-related illness, and rapidly deteriorating neighbourhoods
In 2002/2206 a health study was carried out by the eThekwini Municipality and University of Michigan – results had shown that 52% of the children from Settlers Primary School (found in close proximity to Engen refinery) had asthma
These stats had made the Guinness Book of records for the highest percentage of affected children
Overview of climate change Overview of climate change project in south Durbanproject in south Durban
Climate change book launch – February 2009
Climate change and poverty hearing – August 2009
Durban’s build up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP 15 7th Dec 09 – Video screening (The story of stuff and carbon
trading) 9th Dec 09 – Picket outside Sapref, Engen and Mondi
refineries 12th Dec 09 – Global day of action Youth Rally 12th Dec 09 – Candlelight vigil outside Engen refinery 14th Dec 09 – Press briefing – The World Bank and Eskom:
Banking on climate destruction
Attending COP 15 in Copenhagen – December 2009
Copenhagen review workshop – February 2010
Kids painted banners and t-shirts with messages to President Jacob Zuma
Protest outside Mondi paper mill
Global day of action, Youth Rally
Scientific evidence: increases in temperature increased rainfall variability extreme weather events (e.g. flooding and
drought)
CO2, N2O, CH4 exceed values over the past
650 000 years
5% chance this is natural variability
Climate change in south Climate change in south DurbanDurban
What can we expect?What can we expect? Rising temperatures Water shortages and
extreme weather events Sea level rise Ocean currents, ocean
temperatures, and marine biodiversity
Terrestrial biodiversity Illness and disease Air pollution Social problems
A hint of things A hint of things to come?to come?
March 2007March 2007
November 2008November 2008
Stories from South Stories from South DurbanDurban
Clarabelle Mthembu has serious asthma
Patience Green has a son and grandson with chronic breathing problems
Siga Govender (farmer)Siga Govender (farmer) Farmed near Durban Airport
since 1976 March 2007, March & June
2008 Faced financial ruin Water resource is
compromised. In May 2010, water from the canal had dried up because of warmer conditions experienced leading to farmers having to dig up bore holes. Usually the bore hole water resource is used in September.
Water scarcity leads to farmers planting crops that require less water like parsley, thyme, spinach and coriander
Flooding had lead to loss of newly planted seedlings
Community empowerment and education
Farmers are still farming on land
Essop Mohammed Essop Mohammed (fisherman)(fisherman) Fishing off the harbour
since 1860 Move to different areas
along the harbour due to scarcity of species
Time of day has also been moved, from mornings to the evenings
Strong winds influence movement of the fish
Fishermen’s involvement with government
Draft policy for the development of viable (resilient) small scale fisheries sector in SA
Interim relief measure granted in the Cape and parts of KZN
Fishermen’s involvement with the city
Access to fishing piers
In 2004 defiance of the
link road campaign
Formed the KZN Subsistence Fisheries Forum
Pyramid of power and Pyramid of power and responsibility: climate responsibility: climate
changechange
Climate Climate change is a change is a global global problem, problem, yet each yet each one of us one of us has the has the power to power to make a make a differencedifference